Kirklees Council food safety chiefs warn of horrors of unwashed hands during barbecue season

Jun 22 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Food safety chiefs warn of horrors of unwashed hands during barbecue season

THE horrors of unwashed hands are under the spotlight in a campaign which has continued after the recent National Food Safety Week.

Food safety chiefs at Kirklees Council set up a stall to warn about the importance of good hygiene as the barbecue season approaches.

Environmental safety officers visited Asda in Huddersfield to give shoppers advice on cooking food thoroughly and avoiding cross-contamination of food whilst handling, storing, preparing, cooking and serving it.

They highlighted facts such as the two and ten million bacteria which are living between your fingertips and elbows.

And damp hands that spread 1,000 times more germs than dry hands.

The number of germs on fingertips doubles after anyone uses the toilet, yet up to half of all men and a quarter of all women fail to wash their hands.

Clr Mary Harkin, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “As well as running awareness sessions, we will also be continuing to work closely with the meat industry, including local butchers, to encourage good practice.”